On:
In: Maureen MacGregor

I had a very short working week last week; in on Monday and Friday and out on strike Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  I had mixed emotions about it – I had rejected the initial pay offer but did not vote for strike action – but felt I had to support those who did.  Various figures have been bandied around in the media about what the pay offer actually was with some figures being more believable than others but what could not be disputed was Cosla’s own cleverly presented figures. A generous £2000 was proposed which on the face of it seems more than acceptable howeverRead More →

On:
In: Aileen Orr

Well round one and the courts have ruled no Independence attempts at any cost, or similar!  But, as we all know, justice isn’t exactly what the scales portray.  The very heart of democracy lies in good governance.  Good governance relies on fair justice.  Unfortunately, we now have a system, throughout the UK, where only deep pockets buy equality of fairness. Courts supply a voicing of grievances, highlighting the process of legal speak which most find bewildering. More bewildering sometimes are those chosen by their peers to judge the courts, with their wigs and gowns, high office can open many doors.  While the rest of us sit outside looking in. TheRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

I came across the post from radio Scotland this morning about how would you like a safe consumption room in your neighbourhood. I then read some of the comments. This made me think. When I was young and first involved in politics, you had to go along to meetings to get involved. You were perfectly able to view your opinion, but this would be debated by the room. There may or may not have been a conclusion. If it was an important subject that would be put to National Council or a Conference for debate and voting, the branch or constituency would invite knowledgeable people along toRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

Some years ago at Annual Conference, Nicola said that we needed to concentrate on explaining the “why” of Independence rather than being caught up in the Unionist game of “how” to win independence. I was reminded of this again yesterday when I saw a graphic on Facebook about Electricity Standing Charges. Now I always try to recall the words of Rabbie Burns “Just because you read it on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s true”, but given the current controversy around the impact that standing charges have on bills, I felt it was worth pursuing. The Westminster Government has recently kindly reduced the Energy Price Cap to £1923 a year for a typical household. Ok we don’t liveRead More →

On:
In: Maureen MacGregor

As Nadine Dorries resigned from the Government, her resignation letter read like the synopsis of the book that she is shortly to publish.  It was a very public letter although I have heard others describe it as personal but to me, it was written for the public and not for Mr Sunak’s benefit.  From the cringeworthy claim of declining his phone call on his first morning of taking office it continued to throw shade as the kids would say, continually alluding to the book and how all would be revealed.  The book appears to be a cross between Blair’s memoirs and Harry Potter with itsRead More →

On:
In: Aileen Orr

I joined the SNP in 1969, that would be five minutes after I was born!  Sadly no, but my teacher was John Gair and I had quite a few other close influencers who did inspire me to become an activist.  At an early age I absorbed anything I could about everything I couldn’t access in school books about Scotland.  My Grandfather and Father were members of the local Burns Club, and their enthusiasm was infectious.  I joined the local pipe band and learned to play the pipes.  I wrote poetry and became fascinated by my own history through local historians in the Borders through songRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

It’s sometimes thought that Government is a piece of cake, you just take your manifesto and hey presto, it’s done, dusted and law. In practice, in the real world of course it’s far from that rosy picture. If you’re lucky enough to have a current or past Minister as your MSP, have a chat about the realities of office. Not the oft cited “Ministerial car” or the speeches but the hard graft of getting to grips with a subject and mastering that brief before you can even think about how you would make change work and find the money from within your own Departmental budget.Read More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

There have been many words, tributes and memories dedicated to the legend that was Winnie Ewing lately but I just wanted to add the impact that she made on me as an eight year old.  My dates may well be out but it must have been the early 80s and I was living in Orkney.  It was Brownie night and we were out a walk when a car went by and the whispers began and we all started waving excitedly.  It was probably an adult who had said who it was but what sticks in my mind was how we all knew who it wasRead More →

On:
In: Michael Hance

For old school Scottish Nationalists, Winnie Ewing was a constant presence. I was only 4 when she won the Hamilton by-election in 1967 but still I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t aware of her.  Somehow – even in those days where news and opinion came principally in printed form – a very young boy living in a little village in Morayshire knew about this remarkable woman.  When I was in first year at secondary school I recall we were set a task by our English teacher: we had to write a short description of someone we admired, read it out to our classmates and thenRead More →

On:
In: Aileen Orr

So Mhairi Black is stepping down from Westminster, well it’s no wonder.  We have read of women calling the Palace a cesspit, brutal, Boys Own caricatures, 19th century, jokes about accents and straight forward perverts on steroids, it doesn’t seem possible with corridors filled with journalists and spies, yet we see no reduction in complaints or improvement of conduct.  Even in front of cameras. So why did Mhairi upset so many on the opposite benches!  Well, trying to reduce her spirit by laughing at her accent. Or pretending they can’t understand her by gesticulating with their hands behind their ears as if they needed helpRead More →